First Four Festival Canceled By Local Organizing Committee

The First Four Festival, staged annually in Dayton, Ohio, around the initial games of the NCAA men's basketball tournament, has been canceled this year. In an e-mail to impacted businesses, Oregon District Business Association President Mike Martin said, "The NCAA is not allowing local sponsorships for public events (like the First Four Festival)." In another e-mail, First Four Local Organizing Committee Chair JP Nauseef attributed the policy change to "significant turnover at the NCAA" (DAYTONDAILYNEWS.com, 2/20).